Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: The article discusses the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic as an exemplary moment to debate the contemporary direction of the economy. The lockdown proved that most of the jobs that people do are useless and not necessary and could be considered as bullshit jobs. At the same time, caring jobs are essential, although they are among those with the lowest wages. This finding is a risk to corporate and government bureaucracies designed to produce private debt and which support bullshit jobs. Therefore, it is necessary to restart “the economy” quickly, even if it is a bullshit economy. Finally, it is asked whether the definition of the economy by the notion of productivity would not be an outdated idea.
Authors: David Graeber, Fábio Tozi, João Lucas Xavier
Institution: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Language: Portuguese
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3195316696